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Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. (James 2:13-17 NLT).
Last weekend was a shining example of faith-in-action here at the Champaign church and I want to personally thank each and every one of you who gave your time and money to help people here in Champaign and in Haiti.
Last week there were over 200 who braved the cold and went out to spread the word about fire safety and the necessity for working smoke detectors in homes. It was both encouraging and inspiring to see.
Then, on Sunday, your faith again responded to the urgent need caused by the massive earthquake in Haiti. The church gave $3,500 for relief and help in Haiti on top of our largest regular contribution in over 2 months!!! Amen.
So far, $125,000 has been given for Haitian relief by our family of churches around the country and H.O.P.E. is waiting on more from churches who have committed to take up contributions in the next couple of weeks. This is by far the fastest response HOPE Worldwide has received in a disaster relief effort.
There are still 150 of our brothers and sisters from the Port-au-Prince church missing. In this week of prayer and fasting, please don’t forget our spiritual family in this time of crisis and heartache.
The following is an excerpt from one of the stories from www.disciplestoday.org
“The situation in Port-au-Prince is still desperate. Roads are blocked. There is no communication. So far 9 disciples and 12 family members are dead. The number of missing in the church is about 150. Some of those may have gone to be with family or relatives in other places. Others may simply be stuck in a neighborhood with no mobility. Certainly some have perished. We may not know the number who perished for a few more weeks.
The disciples are in shock. Their city is in ruins. Mark said that folks hold it in, but it is overwhelming. Most are just numb. The church is providing lots of encouragement. They sing in the morning and evening. There is lots of crying. During the night, as they camp out on the property of their collapsed church building, they are startled by aftershocks, nearby screams, or even gunfire. Still, somehow, the brothers and sisters continue to press forward with their lives.”
Please go to www.disciplestoday.org for more information. And remember to continue to put your faith into action as you remember those in need.
-Tracy
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